John M. Gerrard
Encyclopedia
John Melvin Gerrard is the youngest person ever appointed to the Nebraska Supreme Court
and has served as a justice of that court since 1995. Gerrard has been nominated to serve as a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
.
(B.S.), 1976; University of Arizona
, Masters in Public Administration, 1977; and McGeorge School of Law
at the University of the Pacific (J.D.), 1981. He is a member of Phi Kappa Tau
fraternity.
appointed Gerrard to the Nebraska Supreme Court
. At 41 years of age, Gerrard was the youngest ever appointee to the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Prior to becoming a Supreme Court justice, he was in private practice in Norfolk, Nebraska
from 1981 to 1995 and was City Attorney for Battle Creek, Nebraska
from 1982 to 1995.
that would be vacated later that year by Judge Richard G. Kopf
. On May 4, 2011, President Barack Obama
formally nominated Gerrard to replace Kopf on the federal bench.
Gerrard's nomination currently is pending before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
.
Nebraska Supreme Court
The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Each Justice is initially appointed by the Governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
and has served as a justice of that court since 1995. Gerrard has been nominated to serve as a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
The United States District Court for the District of Nebraska is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nebraska. Court offices are in Omaha, Lincoln, and North Platte....
.
Early life and education
Gerrard is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityNebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational university located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2007, it has 1,600 full-time students and 300 faculty and staff. The school teaches in the tradition of a liberal arts college education....
(B.S.), 1976; University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Masters in Public Administration, 1977; and McGeorge School of Law
McGeorge School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, ABA approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific....
at the University of the Pacific (J.D.), 1981. He is a member of Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
fraternity.
Nebraska Supreme Court
In 1995, Nebraska Governor Ben NelsonBen Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....
appointed Gerrard to the Nebraska Supreme Court
Nebraska Supreme Court
The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Each Justice is initially appointed by the Governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
. At 41 years of age, Gerrard was the youngest ever appointee to the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Prior to becoming a Supreme Court justice, he was in private practice in Norfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
from 1981 to 1995 and was City Attorney for Battle Creek, Nebraska
Battle Creek, Nebraska
Battle Creek is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,158 at the 2000 census.-History:...
from 1982 to 1995.
Nomination to federal district court
In January 2011, Ben Nelson, now serving as a United States Senator from Nebraska, recommended Gerrard to fill a judicial seat on the United States District Court for the District of NebraskaUnited States District Court for the District of Nebraska
The United States District Court for the District of Nebraska is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nebraska. Court offices are in Omaha, Lincoln, and North Platte....
that would be vacated later that year by Judge Richard G. Kopf
Richard G. Kopf
Richard George Kopf is a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. He served as chief judge of that court from 1999-2004. President George H. W. Bush nominated Kopf to the seat in 1992...
. On May 4, 2011, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
formally nominated Gerrard to replace Kopf on the federal bench.
Gerrard's nomination currently is pending before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
.
External links
- State Judicial Branch. Legislature of Nebraska. Accessed 2011-02-01.
- Honorable John M. Gerrard. Nebraska Supreme CourtNebraska Supreme CourtThe Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Each Justice is initially appointed by the Governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
. Accessed 2011-02-01. - Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame. Phi Kappa TauPhi Kappa TauPhi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
. Accessed 2011-02-01.